The Constitution was not the Unites States' first established government. After the colonists won the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation were written as the United States' first independent government. The articles didn't last long. They were soon replaced by the Constitution; which is still in effect today. The men who wrote the Articles of Confederation still had the Revolutionary War burned freshly into their minds. Their fear of having a government similar to that of England's led to some very significant weaknesses in the document. However, the Americans' fear of a dictatorship or monarchy, like that of England's, also led to some very incredible strengths in the Articles of Confederation, many of which were carried into the Constitution. Yet, regardless of the strengths there were just too many weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and they were eventually replaced.

Not everything about the Articles of Confederation was deficient; there were many strengths in them as well.

The Articles of Conferderation, ratified in 1781. ...

The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781. T...

The Articles of Conferderation, ratified in 1781. ...

The Articles of Confederation set up a land ordnance that forced all of the Colonies to surrender their western land claims to the federal government. This stopped inter-colonial fighting over land, helping reduce the nation's debt by selling the land. The Articles also established the Township and Reign system which divided the land into six mile by six mile blocks. It also stated that one square mile per block was to be set aside for public schools. Yet no matter how remarkable the strengths were, the weaknesses just overpowered them too much.

The newly independent Americans were still weary of a governmental monarch, like George III; so they failed to include an executive branch in their new government. Their hatred of the British Imposed Admiralty Courts also kept a judicial branch out of the Articles. Other things, such as the...

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9 pages3194Nov/19964.5

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